Officials of the Burmese military junta have begun to check for unreported guests at an unearthly hour in the homes of civilians in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State in northern Burma. The checks for guests are being carried out at midnight and that to without a notification, said local sources.
The Town Administrative Office (Ma-Ya-Ka) has warned households that if they do not report guests to the concerned administrative office of quarters and villages (Ya-Ya-Ka), action will be initiated, said residents of Myitkyina.
In Tatkone quarter, homes suspected to be housing guests, especially on the roadside, are being barged into like robbers and checked for guests at midnight since this Monday, said residents.
According to Tatkone residents, those into conducting the surprise checks are the headmen and reserved firefighters from the quarters. They are said to be demanding between 5,000 Kyat (US$4.5) to 10,000 Kyat (US$9) as fine per new guest, not reported to the Ya-Ya-Ka, right away.
Tatkone residents added, that the quarter administrators, Chairman U Hkawdu Sir and member Naw Mai are known to collect money from civilians. The duo is also making several hundreds of thousands of Kyat from sale of lands and houses in the quarters. They have been generating personal income by fleecing civilians from Tatkone in this way, said residents of Tatkone.
Each house in Tatkone quarter has been forced to give 500 Kyat per month as quarter sentry duty fee since May. The households are also being forced to donate 1,000 Kyat per house for a football fund now by the Tatkone Ya-Ya-Ka, said residents.
A resident of Tatkone told KNG, "The quarter administrators are receiving complaints from the local people because they are being often cheated of money on different pretexts. They keep figuring out ways to fleece the civilians by using orders from above".
In Kachin State under the repressive rule of the junta, civilians always face one or other form of extortion by the military authorities whenever they are in need of money, said locals.
Sources close to military authorities in Myitkyina said, the junta always instructs its northern regional commander to collect money from Kachin State, whenever the Naypyitaw’s government departments face a deficit.
If the Northern commander cannot fulfill the demand for money from the Naypyitaw military brass, the threat of transfer hangs over his head, said military sources.
